Three previously unknown breeding sites of Asia’s rarest bunting have been discovered by a team from the Beijing Bird Watching Society working with BirdLife’s China Programme.

The Rufous-backed bunting (Emberiza jankowskii), also known as Jankowski’s bunting, has declined drastically because of conversion of its habitat to farmland, and it is now known only from a restricted area in north-east China.

“These discoveries are very encouraging. When new sites are found we must work with the local government and landowners to protect them,” said Vivian Fu, Assistant Manager (China Programme) of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.